Price Reduction on Existing Reservation

I am getting mixed answers on this question from Celebrity, can anyone provide a real experience as to how this has worked for you? I booked an on board reservation that came with 2 perks and a discount, now the price has dropped by about $600PP. When I called Celebrity they told me that I would not be entitled to the perks because the new cruise fare doesn't allow it. But, I would be able to choose the new fare with no discount and 1 perk which doesn't seem right to me. All I want to do was change my original cruise fare to the new cruise fare which is what I was told I could do on the ship when I made the reservation with no mention of losing the perks.

I’m sorry you were given incorrect information when you booked onboard. If you reprice the cruise with the current price, you must agree to the terms and perks currently offered. You will always be able to keep any OBC you were given for an onboard booking...but the current promo is different from when you booked. You’ll have to decide if the loss of one perk is worth the saving in repricing.

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And its reasonable to say that the current fare is less because you aren't getting that perk. Because, in reality, the perks aren't FREE - they are prepaid with the total cruise fare (albeit ofen at a discount).

All I want to do was change my original cruise fare to the new cruise fare which is what I was told I could do on the ship when I made the reservation with no mention of losing the perks.

Although confusing, if the new fare doesn’t come with any Perks, why would X allow you to continue to have Perks if you took advantage of the lower fare?

The good news is, if you find a better fare with the same or more perks, you can take advantage of that and not be restricted to your original booking.

I’m sorry you were given incorrect information when you booked onboard. If you reprice the cruise with the current price, you must agree to the terms and perks currently offered. You will always be able to keep any OBC you were given for an onboard booking...but the current promo is different from when you booked. You’ll have to decide if the loss of one perk is worth the saving in repricing.

 

 

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Yes, this is how it works. Unfortunately, they consistently fail to mention this on board.

I'm looking to upgrade but the new lower price doesn't have the perks I do so it's not the same fare. Makes sense. I can change and take the new deal or keep what I have.

But, if they you can save $600 and only giving up one perk, then do it. Not sure what you have but if you have to give up say $300 OBC or gratuities then it's a deal, you'd still be $300 ahead.

I'm looking to upgrade but the new lower price doesn't have the perks I do so it's not the same fare. Makes sense. I can change and take the new deal or keep what I have.

 

But, if they you can save $600 and only giving up one perk, then do it. Not sure what you have but if you have to give up say $300 OBC or gratuities then it's a deal, you'd still be $300 ahead.

... and usually, it is more economical to take the lower fare and purchase the additional perk outright as the cost is lower often times.

You can price it out via X's website and then calculate your overall savings, then from there determine if it is worth it or not.

bon voyage

 

OP said the savings were $600pp, which would appear to be a big savings, well worth giving up a perk, especially if it's $300 or prepaid gratuities.

 

Forget about the perks and discount.....just figure how much you paid versus current price and determine "real" savings. Then add in your most expensive perk, and determine whether the difference in savings is more than the perk you are losing would cost. If you come out ahead, rebook.

Back in early April I booked a Bermuda cruise for July. Nice price for a 2A, two perks and the TA is paying the grats....I did have the option to book at a lower price without perks and the TA paying the grats but the math said take the perks...soooo, last week I see a sale email from Celebrity and price it all out and an AX is now about what I paid for a 2A after buying both perks back. I called my TA, explained it all and initially got the "but the new price has no perks" line. I pointed out that they offered to let me buy the perks and even with the that, the price was still a few dollars less that what I paid. 10 minutes later we were upgraded to Aqua and assigned a nice A2 cabin. Oh, when I checked the cabin location, there were 50 empty cabins in A2......bottom line is compare apples to apples, be nice when you ask but be firm if they say no...

A price is not just the price .. it is a cost package, sometimes with perks and often without.. so if you booked at a particular deal and a new one comes up you cannot get a part of each one. The onboard booking agent was actually truthful but left out details.

All of this only applies PRIOR to final payment, correct? None of these changes/upgrades will be granted AFTER final payment, correct?

All of this only applies PRIOR to final payment, correct? None of these changes/upgrades will be granted AFTER final payment, correct?

I upgraded from a 2B to an AX after final payment, noticed the pricing had dropped and somehow we kept the 2 perks, and ended up with additional onboard credit that was more than it cost to upgrade.

We are booked on a cruise in June. I was just playing around on the website the other day and noticed that the price of our cruise dropped. So I made a dummy booking just to compare. The price with the same perks was $186 less. But it was after final payment so I wasn't sure what they would do.

I got in touch with the travel agent that I booked it with. She contacted Celebrity and they upgraded us from a C3 cabin to a A1. No extra charge and no loss of any of the perks. I would have preferred to have the location of an A2 cabin, but as we were discussing the changes the last A2 was booked by someone else. All in all, I think it was a good deal for us.

Thank you to all of those that replied, now to do the math.....

As so many people on here have said, you just have to price it all out, in total. And then compare the two costs. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples (buying perks instead of "getting them for free", etc.)

I just saved over $500 on a 14-day Asian cruise and moved from Deck 6 to 9 without losing the OBC or the standard drinks package. It was definitely worth it to me, but I had to double check everything and price it out both ways before switching. (I still got to keep the $50 refundable deposit, which is great because I'm really holding out for the 2020 Asian cruises to be announced.)

Recently I was a little disappointed with a similar situation. We booked a Celebrity Suite on the Equinox. It comes with all four perks. Two days after final payment was made, the cost of the room went down $250pp/$500 total - still with all 4 perks. I called my TA, she told me Celebrity won’t give any credits or additional OBC once final payment is made. It really bothers me that people who are booking later get a better deal than the ones who let Celebrity hold their deposits for months.

Vickie

Recently I was a little disappointed with a similar situation. We booked a Celebrity Suite on the Equinox. It comes with all four perks. Two days after final payment was made, the cost of the room went down $250pp/$500 total - still with all 4 perks. I called my TA, she told me Celebrity won’t give any credits or additional OBC once final payment is made. It really bothers me that people who are booking later get a better deal than the ones who let Celebrity hold their deposits for months.

 

I’m interested to know why late bookers getting a better fare “really bothers you”. Have you considered waiting until after final payment to book a cruise, thus taking advantage of the lower fare?

 

I’m promise I’m not trying to be argumentative, I’m genuinely curious.

Recently I was a little disappointed with a similar situation. We booked a Celebrity Suite on the Equinox. It comes with all four perks. Two days after final payment was made, the cost of the room went down $250pp/$500 total - still with all 4 perks. I called my TA, she told me Celebrity won’t give any credits or additional OBC once final payment is made. It really bothers me that people who are booking later get a better deal than the ones who let Celebrity hold their deposits for months.

 

 

 

I’m interested to know why late bookers getting a better fare “really bothers you”. Have you considered waiting until after final payment to book a cruise, thus taking advantage of the lower fare?

 

 

 

I’m promise I’m not trying to be argumentative, I’m genuinely curious.

 

 

 

It bothers me because if I purchase something at a store (Publix, Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Walmart, etc, etc) and a the next week it goes on sale, the store will give me a refund.

 

I have kids, pets & a job where vacation has to be scheduled a few months in advance. Hopefully someday I will have the luxury of searching for last minute fare that is a good deal.

 

Next April we are cruising with 6 other couples. We met on a previous cruise. It would not be practical for a group to wait until after payment is due to book our rooms.

 

I realize the cruise line is just trying to fill their rooms. I do think their loyal customers should be treated as such. To be penalized for planning ahead and letting the cruise line hold on to my deposit for months seems counterintuitive. I am Elite on Celebrity/Diamond On RCCL. Even if they just offered some OBC it would be better than nothing.

 

 

Vickie

Recently I was a little disappointed with a similar situation. We booked a Celebrity Suite on the Equinox. It comes with all four perks. Two days after final payment was made, the cost of the room went down $250pp/$500 total - still with all 4 perks. I called my TA, she told me Celebrity won’t give any credits or additional OBC once final payment is made. It really bothers me that people who are booking later get a better deal than the ones who let Celebrity hold their deposits for months.

 

I’m interested to know why late bookers getting a better fare “really bothers you”. Have you considered waiting until after final payment to book a cruise, thus taking advantage of the lower fare?

 

I’m promise I’m not trying to be argumentative, I’m genuinely curious.

 

Curious about this too....

 

When we book we understand and accept that the fare fluctuates sometimes in our favour more often not.

 

We are happy with the fare we pay, even though lower would be better, but not expected, only a great sailing is expected!

 

Usually we have to fly and we wait for months before buying those tickets knowing that fares are always changing, as well.

 

bon voyage

 

 

 

It bothers me because if I purchase something at a store (Publix, Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Walmart, etc, etc) and a the next week it goes on sale, the store will give me a refund.

 

I have kids, pets & a job where vacation has to be scheduled a few months in advance. Hopefully someday I will have the luxury of searching for last minute fare that is a good deal.

 

Next April we are cruising with 6 other couples. We met on a previous cruise. It would not be practical for a group to wait until after payment is due to book our rooms.

 

I realize the cruise line is just trying to fill their rooms. I do think their loyal customers should be treated as such. To be penalized for planning ahead and letting the cruise line hold on to my deposit for months seems counterintuitive. I am Elite on Celebrity/Diamond On RCCL. Even if they just offered some OBC it would be better than nothing.

 

 

Vickie

 

An option to consider is, block/request the time you want for vacation around the sailing you want and wait until after final payment which is usually 90 days before sailing then book.

 

The risk you take is the fare not being lower or you can win big with a big drop in fares.

 

On all of the sailings we have taken, with the exception of one (1) the fares were much higher, as much as 15% from when we originally booked. That is a gamble I Am, currently, unwilling to take until we retire and then decide if we want to pay more or take a different sailing.

 

Just a thought if one has to plan far in advance for vacation,

 

bon voyage

It really bothers me that people who are booking later get a better deal than the ones who let Celebrity hold their deposits for months.

There are trade-offs for everyone. The ones who book late may get a lower price, but they have a far more limited cabin selection. And, if they are booking airfare too, they have far less time to watch and compare airfare, and may end up paying more there. If cabin selection and /or airfare don't matter to you, then just wait until after final payment and book at whatever the rate is then.

It bothers me because if I purchase something at a store (Publix, Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Walmart, etc, etc) and a the next week it goes on sale, the store will give me a refund.

 

To be penalized for planning ahead and letting the cruise line hold on to my deposit for months seems counterintuitive. I am Elite on Celebrity/Diamond On RCCL. Even if they just offered some OBC it would be better than nothing.

 

If it's before final payment and you find a better deal, you can take advantage of it. Retail stores, likewise, often let refund the difference if the price drops, but just like a cruise line, they typically have a deadline for this. It may be anywhere from 3 days to a month or whatever, but you can't buy a TV for instance, in March, and when it goes on sale for Black Friday 8 months letter expect them to give you a refund of the difference. In that sense it's no different than a cruise ship letting you reprice your booking but only for a certain length of time (up until final payment). And stores often add additional restrictions on such price-matching, such as saying that clearance items or seasonal items are exempt.

 

As for being penalized, you're not. You're CHOOSING to book early, knowing the price may drop later. You could just as easily choose to book later when you expect the price to drop and then say you're being penalized because a certain cabin category or cabin number is not available for booking.

@Maven3 - Thank you for answering and sharing your thoughts. Not to pile on with what others are saying, but those who book in advance and ultimately pay more are the ones who get to select their cabin location and guarantee the dates for their cruise so they can plan their schedule months (sometimes years) in advance. I guess to summarize, you are paying for a guaranteed room at a guaranteed time...and that comes at a cost.

I am able to be more flexible in order to pay a lower price. I have the ability to shop around for the lowest fare based on the room category I want.

The only time I book way in advance and pay “full fare” is when we are traveling with others who are not as flexible.

t really bothers me that people who are booking later get a better deal than the ones who let Celebrity hold their deposits for months/QUOTE]

 

 

It bothers me in a way. But here's the flip side. If the price goes up and/or the ship sells out and/or the benefits decrease, your price/benefits/cabin are preserved.

 

As for clothing sales, I'm increasing finding that stores will honor a sale price for a couple of weeks (as in 2) after purchase but not forever, even if you've not worn the item.

 

Bottom line, it's a gamble. Buying early gets you the cabin you want and, until final payment, you can take advantage of sales, extra benefits, etc. After that, if your cruise hasn't sold well, the line may well offer great incentives to new purchasers. If you want to take that chance, then wait until after final payment and take advantage of the better deal. But, of course, they may not exist if your cruise is popular.

For the poster who booked a nice suite and then saw a $500 price drop after final payment....I am going to guess that the cost of moving up to an even nicer suite would be more than $500 and that is why your TA said Celebrity would not do anything for you. I know once you are past the final payment date the most you can hope for is an upgrade. No OBC, no refund.

We have a Med cruise coming up in October, we booked it in September 2017 while on board. Since then the price has done nothing but go up. I priced it yesterday and found out it is now $2800 more than I am paying.....and Aqua is sold out and the other verandas are pretty limited. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

We book early to get a hump cabin with a larger balcony, in the UK you can make one change if the price drops before final payment and that works for me should I need it.